Swivel Lock Profile for Sheet Pile Wall Interconnection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connecting profiles for sheet pile wall components do not allow for relative movement, leading to friction-induced heating and potential breakage when rammed into the ground, and previous designs are either obsolete or unmanufacturable.
Innovation Solution
A connecting profile with lock profiles that can swivel by at least 15 degrees, featuring a thumb strip and curved finger strip with an elliptical or oval lock inner chamber, allowing for relative movement and accommodating the non-homogeneity of the earth, and a base body design that allows for uniform tensile force distribution and flexible installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the connecting profile uses rigid locks without swivel capability, then the interconnection structure is simple and stable, but the frictional heating during ramming causes the locks to weld together or break away
Solution Approach 1:
The lock profile is designed with a swivel capability of at least 15 degrees, transforming the rigid static connection into a dynamic adjustable connection. This allows the lock to adapt its angle during the ramming process, reducing frictional heating and preventing welding or breakage while maintaining stable interconnection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the angular parameter of the lock connection by introducing a swivel range of at least 15 degrees. This parameter change allows the lock to adjust its orientation during installation, reducing stress concentration and preventing structural failure under varying ground conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the connecting profile allows relative movement between locks, then the interconnection can accommodate earth non-homogeneity, but the locks may detach unintentionally
Solution Approach 1:
The swivelable lock design provides controlled relative movement capability, allowing the connection to adapt to ground non-homogeneity while maintaining secure engagement through the interlocking thumb and finger strip geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock profile design incorporates a mouth opening and lock inner chamber geometry that accommodates the swivel motion in advance, preventing sudden detachment while allowing controlled movement to absorb installation variations and ground irregularities.
3Manufacturing precision
If the lock profile has a narrow mouth opening for precise engagement, then the interconnection precision is high, but the lock cannot swivel sufficiently to accommodate installation variations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the geometric parameters of the mouth opening and lock inner chamber to provide sufficient swivel space while maintaining precise engagement. The elliptical or oval cross-section with specific dimensions allows the required 15-degree swivel range without compromising the precision of the final locked position.
Data Source
AI summary
A connecting profile is disclosed for interconnecting three sheet-pile wall components. The connecting profile has a basic body from which three identical lock profiles project in predetermined coupling directions. Each lock profile comprises a thumb strip with a central web on which is formed a thumb which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the central web. A curved finger strip points in the direction of the thumb strip and forms a lock inner chamber and defines a mouth opening for the lock of the sheet-pile wall component that is to be hooked in. The mouth opening and the lock inner chamber are designed in such a way that the lock of the sheet-pile wall component that is to be hooked into the lock profile can be pivoted in the lock profile by a pivot angle of at least 15 degrees.